Winter shelter beds at Yacht Club operated by the Mustard Seed. (Image credit: CFJC)

By Connor Gunn

WINTER SHELTERS UPDATE

Kamloops winter shelter beds see rise in use; some being turned away due to limited capacity

Dec 1, 2022 | 4:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — The temperatures overnight in Kamloops have dipped below -15°C recently resulting, in more people who are homeless using the overnight winter shelters.

The Mustard Seed and the Out of the Cold program are operating winter shelters in the city and have more than 200 beds — but those who are homeless say there aren’t enough.

“He froze to death. I had to bury my own fiance because he wouldn’t listen to me. I went where there was warmth and heat, he didn’t and I lost him because of the cold,” says Crystal Demerchant.

Demerchant has been homeless for some time now and she says she has to sleep outside some nights when there’s no space in the winter shelters in Kamloops.

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The Loop on the North Shore opened its doors Wednesday night to help people get out of the cold.

“Everywhere is packed. We were actually getting people brought here from the other shelters because they couldn’t accommodate those folks,” says The Loop operator Glenn Hilke.

Overnight warming shelters at the Yacht Club and the Stuart Wood School welcome people from the cold every night and the city says it now has the highest total of shelter beds ever.

“The capacity of 210 beds is more than we’ve ever seen in Kamloops. Last winter at the peak of the cold weather over the holiday break, when temperatures were dipping below -30s, the max amount of folks who came inside was 201,” says City of Kamloops Social, Housing and Community Development Manager Carmin Mazzotta.

The Mustard Seed operates the recently expanded Yacht Club shelter to become a 24-hour escape from the elements.

“The Mustard Seed has also expanded to a 24/7 operation as of this week, which is really fortunate as we hit these colder temperatures that will provide another 20 spaces for folks to come in from the cold and will be able to stay in from the cold 24/7,” Mazzotta adds.

Nyasha Manyanye, Director of Operations with the Mustard Seed, says the shelters are a huge help for those who are homeless.

“It gives them peace of mind, some consistency, some of them they are now able to attend their regular doctor’s appointments because now they know they have somewhere permanent for the next four months to stay so that kind of gives them peace.”

Although the city has more shelter beds than ever before, some people are being turned away.

“It’s been really busy sometimes we actually have to refer people to other shelters because we don’t have enough beds for them,” adds Manyanye.

The Mustard Seed plans to add an additional 30 beds in the gym of the Kamloops Alliance Church and they hope to be operational by December 14.

Until then, those like Demerchant who can’t secure a bed may have to sleep outside.

“I have four or five blankets over me. When you tuck them all around you, your body heat and the warmth of your breathing will keep you warm enough to survive. But sometimes that doesn’t work. You need fire, you need shelter, you need heat,” says Demerchant.